Speechless
by NamiNoms
Summary: Sofia was a girl lost in a world where she couldn't use her voice. All she was looking for was a friend, anyone who could help her through it. She meets a tall, tan, shaggy haired boy, and her life began to spin, all because of that Heffley boy. Rodrick/oc
1. Chapter 1

"Now, tell about your mother."

The little girl sat in the large chair, silent and staring at the ground. The bearded man across from her held a clipboard. "Did you love her?" There was a pause, and without looking up, the girl nodded. "Very good." The man scribbled some notes. "Do you remember her fondly?" She nodded again. More notes. "Now Sofia," the man began, "I realize you are in no condition to talk right now. You are only six, after all. So this is what I'll do." He scooted his chair closer to hers. "I will not visit you if you wish. You need not speak if you wish. However, I would like you to keep a private journal. Record your feelings and thoughts." Sofia once again nodded, straight brown hair spilling down the sides of her head. "I will never take the journal away from you. However, if you ever feel that you would like to share your thoughts with me, I would not mind." The girl didn't move. She did not speak. The doctor sighed. "I'll go talk to your father now. Please, take care of yourself. Find a friend." He patted her head and exited the small, quiet room.

* * *

That was ten years ago. The summer when Sofia Rose Clark became mute. Her father did his best to care for her, and he desperately missed the sound of her voice, her laughter. However, the family of two, not including their cat, have been moving on. Sofia had just turned sixteen. She and her father, Brad, had searched for a suitable high school for her to attend. They lived in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. Now they found Plainview, New York. It was quiet, green, and peaceful. The plane ride there was uneventful, and the two stayed in a hotel overnight. When the day came to get settled into the new house, Brad was excited. However, his daughter wasn't, or at least she wasn't showing it. The U-Haul truck pulled up in front of the house after the pair arrived, and movers began transferring big boxes into the abode. Two beds were brought inside, along with a couch and a small T.V for the living room. It was a rather large house, two-story, and practically in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by grass and trees. The front yard was bigger than most, along with the backyard. "Just look at this, honey! You'll have your own space and everything!" yelled her father, but Sofia was looking at rooms, and finally found one. It was the smallest in the house, with just enough room for her bed and a small desk. The irony.

When the movers were done and had driven away, Sofia plunked herself on the couch and began reading a book, Watership Down. She loved the book to death, mainly because it used to belong her to mother. "Maybe you want to go outside? I can drop you off at that big mall we saw coming in. You could make new friends." Her father persisted, leaning on the couch. Sofia glanced at her father, then back down at the page. It wasn't a horribly bad idea, but the only thing she would do there would either continue reading or look at certain objects, wishing she had the money to buy it. "I'll give you thirty," bribed her father. No response. "Forty?" Still nothing. Brad rolled his eyes. "Okay, fifty, but that's as far as I'll go." Sofia smiled.

She ended up with sixty dollars and a long ride to the big mall near a high school. Her dad dropped her off and wished her luck, and Sofia cautiously entered, immediately being overwhelmed with noise and chatter. The mixed smell of Chinese food and burgers wafted from the food court, and immediately she went to go find a seat. Her book was tucked under her arm, and her wallet sat nicely in her back pocket. She wore a maroon short sleeved blouse with jean shorts. Her short cropped hair was parted off to the side, brown hair sweeping gently off to the side. She sported thick glasses and an opal ring on her right middle finger, a gift from her mother. Sofia travelled further into the mall, passing jewelry shops, when she passed mall security. There were two mall cops, between them three teen boys who were hunched over, almost ashamed looking. The tallest was tan, with dark brown eyes and shaggy hair, sporting a Slipknot t-shirt. Another had spiky hair that was a light brown, almost blonde in color. He was pale, and had ripped up boot cut jeans. The third was rather large, with a bit of acne, large glasses and wore a beanie. He had big gauges, and for some odd reason ha painted his nails black.

Sofia couldn't help but stare at the odd, metal looking trio. They were stereotypical male teenagers. They probably felt her eyes on them, because the tall one turned and caught her eye for just a moment. He didn't show any change in emotion, only blinked and looked away again. The mall cops were apparently asking for a parent or guardian's phone number, and they refused to give it. They denied, denied, and denied. Sofia lightly rolled her eyes and continued walking.

As she settled down on a bench near a Vans store, she couldn't help but think about that boy. She had an immense curiosity to find out what he could have possibly done to get in trouble with the mall's security. As she opened her book, her mind continued to wander, and she found herself re-reading half of the pages.

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**_Hello~ Not a very long chapter, but I hope you like it all the same. Please review. _**

**_-S_**


	2. Chapter 2

June was never Sofia's favorite month. It was the middle of the summer, hottest month of the year. And in Plainview, the summers were humid. It made her hair frizz and it made her hot and sticky, only wanting to sit in tank top, shorts, and fanning herself. It's been a month since she moved here with her father, and she still had no friends. Her only option at the moment was to sit inside with air conditioning or go outside, forced by her father. Last day of May, she forced herself to a hair salon, hoping to somewhat change her look. She had dyed her hair a red-auburn color, and it had become slightly wavy now, although it maintained its length, which was sitting right above her shoulders. Currently, Sofia was in a library. Her father thought she was at the mall or in the park, 'making friends' as he liked to call it. He had continued pushing her to meet people, and although she received money, Sofia honestly did not want to meet people. She did not want friends. She was completely and utterly fine being alone and quiet. Besides, she was so close to finishing Watership Down. Her eyes scanned the page and she relished in Hazel's world, as he did his best to defend his warren from the General.* A sudden, gentle tap on her shoulder startled Sofia out of her trance, and she turned to find a child of ten standing next to the table. "Is that a good book?" She asked quietly, a bashful look taking over her face. Sofia took a moment, and nodded slowly. "What is it about?"

Sofia gazed at the child. She tried willing words to her mouth, but every time she tried, she choked up, and a feeling of nauseousness gripped her stomach. The little girl waited patiently, rocking backs and forth of her heels, causing her long blonde hair to sway back and forth. Again and again, Sofia opened her mouth with no success. Finally, the girl understood. She quickly ran to the front desk and returned with crayons and a few pages of printer paper. "Do you wanna draw it out?" Sofia looked at the supplies, smiled and nodded. She motioned the girl to sit across from her, which she did, and she went on to draw out the infamous story of Watership Down. The little girl looked mesmerized, watching Sofia excitedly draw rabbits and hills on the papers. Every once in a while, the girl would stop her, and asked for clarification. Apparently, Sofia was doing a good job drawing the story, because there was hardly a misunderstanding. Within half-an-hour, a majority of the plot was given to the girl, and half the crayon was used. The girl looked even more keen on reading it than before. "Thanks so much! Do you mind if I keep these?" Sofia shook her head no. "Thanks miss!" The girl gathered the papers, and ran to her mother. "Mommy, mommy! Guess what?" She heard her distant voice, and remembered a time when she could do the same.

* * *

"I've baked some cookies for a snack, and there is ramen in the pantry if you get hungry."

Brad was rushing through the house, picking up paper, trying to put on his jacket, and checking his briefcase all at once. He had found a very good job offer involving forensic science in the police department, but he was running late for the meeting. Sofia watched as she ran around and giggled. It's been a while since she had seen her father like this. He rushed over and kissed his daughters forehead, uttered a quick goodbye, and ran to his car. She heard the car door slam and she heard the engine rev as he drove away. Sofia gave a quiet sigh and flicked the T.V on for a bit. Some creepy movie was on, what was it called? "When a Stranger Calls", she remembered, and vaguely recalled the plot. It was the newer version, which in her opinion was creepier. She settled down on the couch. She reached into her pant pocket and pulled out a phone number from earlier today. It was the little blonde girl, Charlotte's mother's number, in case she ever needed a babysitting job. As she examined the number, her fat white cat, Snowball, situated himself in her lap, and kept her company during the movie. However, the film got under her skin, and she quickly turned it off. This time, she felt as though she really needed to get out, and not forced to get out. Taking out her phone, she texted Charlotte's mother, letting her know she was up for a babysitting gig anytime. Thankfully, Sofia was just in time. That evening was date night for Charlotte's parents, and she was hired.

* * *

A few hours later, her father dropped her off at a house in a more populated neighborhood that was right next to a forest. Many green bushes and trees lined the sidewalks, and as they pulled into the street, Sofia took note of the street name: Surrey Street. The sun was halfway behind the horizon when they pulled into the driveway of the Jackson's home. Charlotte shyly emerged from the open garage. Sofia exited the car, and gave a little wave to the child, and she waved back. She and her father met both parents properly, shook hands, and she was given emergency contact numbers. They told her they'd be gone for three hours at the most, and to put Charlotte to bed at 8:30. Sofia gave a smile and an OK gesture to the parents, and they drove off, along with her father.

Three hours.

A lot could happen in three hours.

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_***A scene in Watership Down. Please read that book, it's such a great read c:**_

_**Another chapter! I hope you like it. Please review! I promise Rodrick will appear soon! :3**_

_**-S**_


	3. Chapter 3

Ever since earlier that day in the library, Sofia had thought a lot about the aspects of drawing. Ever since she was a child, she had loved to finger-paint and draw with crayons. After she had left the library, she had picked up a small sketchbook, and had brought it with her to the house. Charlotte was grinning ear to ear when Sofia stepped in the house, obviously excited. "We're gonna have so much fun!" She exclaimed, and burst into a fit of giggles. Sofia merely smiled, and took the pencil that was tucked behind her ear. It was still light out, and would be for bit longer, due to the long summer days. Her eyes scanned over the board games, and motioned for Charlotte that maybe they could play outside. Charlotte just smiled and picked up the game pieces and ran outside. Sofia rolled her eyes.

* * *

Soon they were sitting in the driveway, in an intense game of Candyland. Charlotte was winning, but Sofia wasn't far behind. However, she was stuck in licorice, and had to skip a turn. Sofia bit the inside of her cheek, and Charlotte bit her lip with a smile. Only five more spaces, and the kid won the game. And as luck would have it, that's the exact number of spaces she had to move next. Charlotte began tauntingly counting the spaces out loud. "One, two, three, four..." Before se could finish, Sofia grabbed the girl by her waist and playfully slung her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Charlotte laughed louder than ever and tried to get down. "Lemme go!" She said between giggles. Sofia pretended to think. Nope, ain't happening. Charlotte screamed as they twirled around, and Sofia couldn't help it. She let out the tiniest laugh.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a window opening, and a teenager yelled, "Keep it down, you son of a bi-" Sofia quickly looked up at the house across the street. One of the top windows was open, probably to the attic, and leaning his head out the window was a boy. But after a moment of locking eyes with him, she realized it was the boy from the mall, the tan, tall one with shaggy hair.

Turns out her gaze was lethal. It shut him up before he could finish his curse. It was hard to tell from this distance, but it looked like the boy had recognized her too. He quickly stuffed his head back inside without saying anything, then poked it out again. "Just keep it down! I'm trying to sleep here." Sleep? He was causing trouble just a few hours ago! Honestly. Sofia rolled her eyes. She let Charlotte go, and the girl ran into the garage and brought a basketball with her. For the first time, Sofia noticed they had a hoop off to the side. Charlotte shot from right beneath and made it in. Sofia tried as well, and missed by a long shot. Again Charlotte made it. Again Sofia missed. It went on like this for half an hour, and Sofia glanced at her phone. 7:00. The sun was barely beginning to set, but she judged it was most likely a good time to go inside. She ushered Charlotte through the front door, but the girl still had a lot of energy. There was just enough time before her bedtime, though, to wind down with a movie, so thinking it was relevant, Sofia found the movie Space Jam on the Jackson's movie shelf, and made popcorn for her. While Charlotte watched the movie, Sofia laid on the couch, her eyelids heavy, barely paying attention. Soon, she doesn't remember when she fell asleep.

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**Thanks for reading! Please review~**

**-S**


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark. That was the first thing that came to mind when Sofia woke. She checked the clock on the wall. 12:45 a.m. What was the holdup? Charlotte was passed out on the floor, and the television was turned off. Heaving herself off the couch, Sofia trudged to go turn on a light switch, but when she flicked it, it did nothing. Power outage. Taking her her phone from her pocket, Sofia turned it on. 9:45 p.m. The outage must've reset the clock, since it was digital. Even so, the Jackson's were late, but nevermind. Sofia gently scooped Charlotte in her arms and carried her up the stairs and into her room. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she slipped the child under the covers and smoothed the blanket. With a final pat on the head, she left the room, door open a crack.

She decided to check the power box. Grabbing a flashlight from under the kitchen sink, she went outside. The house across the street had no lights on, so maybe they had an outage too. She could ask. After all, she had no idea how a power box worked. Although she still checked it to see if there was any sort of damage. Nothing. Grabbing a notebook and sharpie, she scribbled something across the page and set off across the street.

After she rang the doorbell, there was a scrambling sound and a muffled yell. The door opened, a man looking out from behind it. He took out a flashlight and shone is on her. Sofia shielded her eyes for a moment, and the man said, "Yes?" She showed him the paper, which said "Are you having power problems too?" He read the words, lips slightly mouthing them, and he nodded. "We've been trying to fix it for half an hour now. Any luck with you?" Sofia shook her head. "Where do you live?" He asked, and she pointed down the street, and scribbled something in the notebook. "Babysitter." The man had opened up the door fully, and he nodded. "I see. I'm Frank Heffley," he said, and shook her hand. "Sofia Clark," the paper said. Suddenly, Frank changed the topic. "Not to be rude, but why aren't you talking? Medical condition...?" Sofia didn't move for a moment, then wrote, "More or less." He nodded. "Hey, how about you take the kids you're babysitting and come inside? We have candles, an unfinished dinner, and I've just called the electrician." Sofia thought for a moment. Can she trust him? She's be damned if she took help from a rapist, but to confirm his honesty, a young boy about thirteen called from behind him, "Dad, I found more flashlights!" After a moment of rapid decision, she nodded. "We'll be over soon," she wrote, and turned to go get Charlotte.

Turns out, Charlotte was terrified of the dark. When Sofia gently shook her, Charlotte nearly screamed at the fact that her night light wasn't on and providing safety. But soon the situation was explained, and reluctantly the girl followed her babysitter to the house across the street. By the time they arrived, the electrician had just shown up, and was trying to locate the problem. The two girls awkwardly entered the house, ushered in by Frank's wife, Susan. There was a prepubescent boy sitting in the kitchen, eating a pizza, while an older teen boy's voice sounded from the living room, complaining about not watching his shows. Sofia gently nudged Charlotte toward the boy, telling her with her eyes to go make friends. Charlotte just sighed and sat next to him. "Hi," she said quietly. "Hi," the boy replied. "I'm Charlotte Jackson," she continued. "Greg Heffley," he muttered, mouth full of pizza. Leaving the two kids to mingle, Sofia uncomfortably walked through the house. She smiled at Mrs. Heffley, and nodded at Mr. Heffley. Candles provided a low lighting that could almost be romantic, if not for the fact that there was no love story, and it was a power outage. She wandered into the living room and looked around. It was small, cozy. She saw the couch, barely in the dim light. Looking ahead of her, she began sitting down, but she didn't not make contact with pillows. Instead, she made contact with denim. "Woah!" A deep voice exclaimed, and Sofia gasped. She jumped up rapidly, hands covering her mouth. In an attempt for an apology, she squeaked, but could say no more. "Watch where you're going, short stack," the voice said, and as Sofia squinted in the light, she saw HIM. It was always him. Somehow, it was always him. The boy from the mall, the teen yelling out the bedroom window. Now, she had barely escaped sitting in his lap. Well, more like his legs. As Sofia squinted in the dark, she saw him sprawled on the entire couch, hands behind his head. Oddly enough, he was wearing ripped jeans, but no shirt. His attire, or lack of attire, confused her. What was with the jeans? He was sleeping two hours ago! She gently moved his legs and sat daintily on the edge of the couch opposite him. He slid into a sitting position, hands still behind his head. He was looking at her. "Weren't you at the mall a few days ago?" Sofia nodded. There was a pause. "I'm Rodrick," he awkwardly said. She gave a small smile and turned her eyes to the ground. "What's your name?" She looked back up at him with a look that said 'seriously?' He scoffed. "Hey, just trying to make conversation. It's not like there's a stranger in my house and the powers out." Sofia rolled her eyes and motioned for Rodrick give her his hand. Cocking an eyebrow, he did so. Then she used what she liked to call the 'Helen Keller' method. She took his hand, palm up, and wrote her name with her finger on it. He was confused for a moment, and she did it a second time. He finally understood when she did it a third time, and got her name the fourth time she did it. "Sofia, huh? Nice to meet ya." He smiled and flipped his hand to the side to shake hers. Sofia smiled and rolled her eyes. "You probably get this a lot, but why aren't you talking?" Rodrick squinted at her, as if trying to decipher the problem himself.

M-U-T-E

Sofia left her finger on his palm as she remember why she was this way. She felt like crying, but there were no tears brimming, which was a good thing. Rodrick thought about it for a moment. "Oh," he finally said. "I thought you lost your voice or something." Sofia merely shrugged, and pulled her phone from her pocket, letting Rodrick's hand fall to his lap. She had a text message from Mrs. Jackson. "We're sorry we're late! A big cement truck crashed into a pretty big power line, and from what I heard all the suburbs are out of electricity. Are you and Charlotte ok?" Sofia sighed. So that's what happened. She replied to the text saying "Everything is fine. We r hanging out the Heffley's down the street. Charlotte is having a great time, no worries." As she sent it, Rodrick looked over her shoulder. "Aaah, so you're the babysitter. Should've known," he said. Sofia raised an eyebrow. She gently nudged his shoulder playfully, and he nudged her with his elbow. "You're cool," he said, chuckling softly. Sofia typed something on her phone and showed it to him.

"Is that a compliment?"

Rodrick huffed. "Don't beat yourself up 'bout it. I'm just saying. We should hang out some time." Sofia's heart nearly stopped. This was the first time someone liked her. Wanted to hang out with her, be her friend, and willingly. She covered her mouth looked at the floor. Rodrick sighed. "Do I have to spell it out? I'm asking for your number, Sherlock." Sofia nodded and handed him her phone. He entered his number, and handed if back. "Text me sometime, 'kay?" Sofia smiled under her hand and nodded. For the first time in ten years, she was genuinely happy.

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**Yay! An appearance from our precious Rodrick! 3 I think next chapter will be a bit of an insight on his thoughts. Thanks for reading, please review!**

**-S**


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